


Glimpse Hope

by Vialana



Series: Hope [9]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Friendship, M/M, Pining Lance (Voltron), Post-Season/Series 02, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 06:32:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11754063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vialana/pseuds/Vialana
Summary: Keith is avoiding Lance. The rest of the castle is not.





	Glimpse Hope

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay with this part guys. I just got a new job and things have been hectic.
> 
> (Also, I got caught up with making a Lance vid too: [Around the Universe](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11597313) *cough*shamelessselfpromotion*cough* There's a little Keith/Lance in there too if anyone likes fanvids or Lance or pop music)
> 
> Anyway, with season 3 out now, this series is firmly canon-divergent. There are no season 3 spoilers in here at all. So anyone who hasn't had a chance to see the latest episodes will have no fear of being spoiled.

Waking up to the chill of the healing pod was becoming too familiar to Lance. As much as he chided Keith for needing to spend so much time in the pods, the harsh reality was that all of the paladins had spent a fair amount of time in the med bay—Lance included. Not that he was going to let Keith get away with his recklessness, but Keith might have a bit of ammunition to use against Lance now if he wanted.

And Lance would take the ribbing because he was honestly thrilled to be alive after that (admittedly) stupid stunt.

“Lance!”

The cries of his team as he stepped out of the pod were too loud but he didn’t get a chance to point it out as he was immediately pulled into a warm hug by Hunk. Lance relaxed into the embrace and patted his best friend soothingly on the back before they parted.

Pidge was next, bruising his ribs as she squeezed her arms around his chest. “You are never doing that again.”

Lance returned the hug. “Yeah, definitely not planning on doing that ever again.”

“Good to have you out of the pod, my boy.” Coran cheerfully slapped Lance on the back, sending him stumbling towards Allura who, thankfully, caught him by the arms before he ran face-first into her.

She smiled and squeezed his arms gently. “We are all very glad for your recovery, Lance.”

Lance smiled back at her, leaning into the warm touch. “Thanks Allura.” He pulled away and looked around. 

Keith wasn’t in the med bay.

Lance's smile fell.

Hunk nudged his shoulder. “Keith’s gonna be pissed he slept through this. He's been here non-stop since he brought you back to the castle.”

“Really?”

Hunk nodded. “It was sweet in a concerning and kinda gross way. He skipped more than a few showers. Allura just convinced him to get some rest a few vargas past.”

“Stubbourn idiot.” Lance's words might have been admonishing, but his smile was fond as he thought about Keith staying at his side even while unconscious. His heartbeat stuttered then sped up as he recalled the last time he saw Keith, locking the door on Keith’s stunned expression, lips still tingling from too short contact.

_ He’d kissed Keith. _

“I should let him know I’m okay.” Lance hoped he wasn’t blushing. Thankfully his voice came out even and smooth, nothing could be garnered from his words other than a desire to reassure a concerned team mate. Definitely not hoping to explain to Keith about that frantic decision to admit his feelings in the heat of battle before his untimely death.

(And absolutely not hoping that Keith might, Lance prayed,  _ maybe _ return his feelings. Or at least not be repulsed by them, or look at Lance weirdly now, or awkwardly try to bond and pretend that everything was totally fine even though it really wasn’t.)

Lance just needed to know that Keith didn’t hate him and that he was fine after that mission from hell.

But betrayal came from the most unexpected quarter.

“No can do buddy,” Hunk said, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know the rules about pod time.”

Lance opened his mouth to protest but the words died on his tongue as he faced up to his best friend. Hunk looked exhausted, dark bags hanging under his eyes and his jaw clenched too tensely.

The others weren’t much better: Pidge was swaying where she stood, hands trembling; Allura’s hair hung limp and her bright smile was marred by tight lines at the corner of her eyes; and while Coran was usually good at putting up a front, he couldn’t quite muster his usual enthusiasm as he set about putting the med bay back to order.

So Lance nodded, surrendering himself to Hunk’s care. “Yeah, I do. Lead the way.”

Lance couldn’t feel bad about delaying his chat with Keith, not when Hunk relaxed completely as he dragged Lance towards the kitchen and Allura chided Pidge into getting some rest. Coran offered him a wink as he left the room.

What would a few more vargas hurt?

 

* * *

 

Hunk waited until Lance was comfortably ensconced at the dining table and had a mouth full of goo before starting on his admonishment. 

“Pidge is right, as usual. You are not doing that again.”

Lance swallowed, almost choking on the goo. “I didn’t really want to do it this time.”

Hunk shook his head. “That was awful, Lance. I know this is war, but I still hated seeing you in there.”

Lance let his spoon fall to the plate. He really didn't feel like eating now. “I'm sorry, Hunk. I'm so sorry. But I just couldn't let him do that again.”

Hunk settled into the seat next to him and shuffled the chair close. Their shoulders brushed as he leaned over to encourage Lance to keep eating. Lance raised the full spoon to his mouth automatically, not really thinking about anything except for how warm Hunk felt pressed against him.

Lance finished the plate of goo in silence, comforted by his best friend at his side.

“So, do I get to say I told you so yet? Because I called this way back at the Garrison, okay.”

Hunk wiggled his eyebrows, breaking the solemn mood. Lance laughed as he shoved him away.

“Like hell.”

The sound of their combined laughter warmed the whole castle.

 

* * *

 

Lance didn’t have to seek Pidge out, she came along and dragged him from the common room as soon as she woke from her nap. The cards in Lance’s hand fell all over the couch as he was jolted away from his varga-long winning streak. Hunk just started packing away the deck of cards and let Pidge pull Lance away with a cheerful “Have fun!” that followed them down the hall.

“I need your skinny fingers to make some adjustments,” she said in explanation once they reached her workstation in Green's hanger.

It was all she said to him for at least two vargas aside from sharply delivered orders about wiring. Lance let her boss him around; if it made her feel better he could deal with a few sparks and harsh words.

Once she managed to get her gizmo up and running, Pidge finally let her shoulders slump and turned to Lance with a devastated expression.

“I can’t lose another brother.”

“Pidge.” Lance’s heart broke and he didn’t hesitate to fold himself over and grab her in a hug. Her arms wrapped around his waist. She was shaking. Lance was tearing up.

She pulled back and punched him on the arm. Lance winced; she had a good right straight. The tears in her eyes didn’t detract from the harsh glare aimed at him. “Stop being stupid, even if Keith was being stupid first. Hunk and I had your back.”

“I’m sorry Pidge. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

“Don’t think I won’t come up with a way to stop you two from doing something like that again. I finally got the tracking working inside the castle and I will not hesitate to use it for my own ends.”

Lance laughed, the heaviness in his chest easing as he watched Pidge smirk confidently about her achievement. “Well, we’ll have that discussion about privacy and ethics in our next team meeting.”

Pidge snorted. “That’s what you think.” She waved a hand at him, already reaching for her keyboard. “You can go now. I have what I needed.”

“Really feelin’ the love here, Pidge.”

“Thought you’d want to find Keith for that.”

Lance spluttered, face bright red. Pidge laughed at him as he practically ran out of her domain.

Did everyone know now?

Lance shook his head as he wandered away. If there was no point in hiding it, then he might as well go find Keith and finish the discussion about his feelings he never actually started.

 

* * *

 

Keith was avoiding Lance. It was the only conclusion he could come to after searching the castle from top to bottom twice over without encountering him once.

It was on his second walkthrough that Lance poked his head into the empty training room and noticed movement in the upper floor control room.

It was Coran, not Keith. He was calibrating the training programs.

“Glad to see you looking better,” Coran said with his usual exuberance as Lance entered the room. “Burnt to a crisp isn’t a very good look for you I have to admit, no matter how many times you try it.”

Lance managed a laugh at the terrible joke. “No kidding. I’m gonna stick with my classic look.” He tugged on his open jacket seams, mimicking a collar pop that tugged his hoodie closer to his neck. “The ladies seem to love it.”

“And I’m sure it’s the ladies you’re trying to impress at the moment.” Coran waggled his eyebrows and Lance groaned, unable to help the colour rising to his cheeks.

“Seriously, does everyone know?”

“Well, your actions were rather romantic, if somewhat reckless and potentially fatal. It would have been a fitting end to any tragic romance, sacrificing yourself for the sake of the person you love.”

Despite the almost lighthearted tone, Coran’s face was stoic—heavy with suppressed emotion.

Lance recalled stories on Earth that ended like that. Full of emotion and drama and love. Sacrificing yourself for something—an ideal, family, your beloved, the fate of the universe—it sounded so grand on paper. The act itself wasn’t so noble as that. It was almost selfish. At the time it felt like he had no other option but, looking back, he was just too caught up in his emotions to think clearly. And as a result, he'd hurt his friends with his impulsiveness.

“This isn’t a story,” Lance said, moving closer to Coran, offering him solidarity in his pain. “This is war.”

Coran looked over at him with a smile lined with loss. “Indeed it is my boy.” Coran placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder, squeezing briefly. “If this old survivor could offer some advice?”

“Go for it.”

“There is always something to live for, to hope for. Yes, you need to be pragmatic and think honestly about the inevitability of your own death and the fact that you are a soldier fighting a war, but your death should never be your first option when considering action. Ever.”

Lance looked at Coran, taking in his bright eyes and wrinkles, his straight back and impeccable uniform. He’d lost almost everything to this war: his home, his family, his life. But he was still here, still dedicated to the cause—to Allura and the castle, the Lions and their makeshift family. He was still here, still smiling, still loving and hoping and fighting.

Lance nodded, throat too tight to answer verbally.

Coran understood anyway, smiling and squeezing his shoulder once last time.

“Now,” he said, breaking the heavy mood, “shouldn’t you be with that love of yours?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”

“Well,” Coran said, pushing Lance towards the door, “keep trying.”

 

* * *

 

Allura was the only one on the bridge this time around. It was empty the first time Lance looked.

“Princess.”

Allura turned towards the door with a wide smile. “Lance. You’re looking much better.”

“Thanks.” Lance scratched at the back of his head as he shuffled over to where Allura stood at her control deck going through what looked like diagnostics of the mapping system. “You need any help?”

Allura raised an eyebrow. “Did you suddenly pick up Altean during your recent cryo-pod experience?”

“Wait, can you actually do that? Like learn languages or engineering subliminally through the pods? I know back on earth people used to try and learn things in their sleep with like music and audio tracks and special beds but I don't know if it actually worked. Or was a government conspiracy about brainwashing. It sounds like brainwashing.”

Allura frowned, ignoring his familiar rambling expertly to answer his actual question. “I don’t know. I doubt it. The pods weren’t intended to work on a neural level like that, just on regenerating cellular and genetic structures.” She winced. “And our last attempts at neural manipulation didn’t go that well if you recall.”

Lance shuddered as he remembered the mess with Sendak. “You know what? Forget I asked.”

“Done.” Allura looked rather upset that she brought it up in the first place. She shook off her melancholy quickly though and peered inquisitively at Lance. “What brings you up here?”

Lance’s mouth twisted down as he thought about his recent fruitless trek through the castle. “I was looking for Keith.”

“Ah.”

Lance narrowed his eyes as he stared at Allura. “You know something.”

“What? No. I don’t know anything.”

Allura was a terrible liar. It was almost endearing. She practically whistled as she pretended innocence.

“Do you know where he is?”

“No.” She smiled as he said this confidently so Lance knew it to be the truth.

Lance sighed. “Fine. I’ll keep looking. Sorry to bother you.”

“It’s no bother, Lance.” She smiled fondly at him. Another truth. The smile faded as she glanced at Keith’s seat on the bridge. “But perhaps you might give him some time.”

Lance followed her gaze to the Red Paladin seat, shoulders slumping. “Oh, yeah. I can … I should probably do that.”

“Not too much time, though,” Allura offered in consolation. “You know how he broods.”

Lance smiled at the dig at Keith, but it was halfhearted at best. “Yeah, he does.” He sighed. “Thanks Allura.”

“I am glad you’re better Lance. The castle was far too quiet and cold without you around.”

Lance started walking out of the room but, just as he reached the door, Allura gave him a piece of hope in parting:

“Keith certainly thought so.”

 

* * *

 

Buoyed by Allura’s parting words, Lance raced to the last place in the castle he might find Keith hiding: the Red Lion.

He slowed as he approached the hanger doors, heart beating fast both from the run and the anticipation of talking with Keith. He smoothed down his clothes and caught his breath, spotting a shiny panel by the door and peering at his reflection.

The distorted chrome image seemed presentable enough, and it wasn’t as though Keith would notice or care. Lance was just stalling.

“Come on, you’ve been looking for him all day,” Lance said, psyching himself up for the conversation ahead. “You need to just get this over with. Ripping off the band-aid and all that.”

With one last nod to himself and a sharp exhale, Lance entered Red’s hanger.

All of the Lions’ hangers were structurally similar so it was a little jarring seeing Red where Lance instinctively expected Blue to be sitting in the middle of the hanger. The hanger was eerily still and Lance’s footsteps echoed as he made his way towards the Lion. It felt like she was watching him, but it was different to the way Blue watched him: wary and calculating instead of excited and pleased.

Lance stopped, halfway to his destination.

Their Lions were their safe places, sanctuaries in a way, connected to their very thoughts and emotions.

Lance was intruding.

If Keith was here, then he didn’t want to be found. Not yet. He needed time and space and comfort. Lance couldn’t take that away from him.

He lowered his head, breaking gazes with Red.

“Just, let him know that I hope he’s okay.”

Lance looked up at Red again, imagining that her gaze was a little less guarded now that he’d backed away. Then he turned around and walked back out of Red’s hanger.

Keith needed time. That was fine. Lance wasn’t going anywhere and neither were his feelings. He had plenty of time to talk when Keith was ready.

Right now, he was just glad that they were both okay. That was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on Tumblr: [ladyvialana](https://ladyvialana.tumblr.com/)


End file.
